Maturity
by TheHeelalIsaHologram
Summary: It is comon knowledge that girls mature four years before boys, for Isabella this couldn't be more true.
1. Chpt 1: Giving it all to go your way

**Giving All to Go Your Way**

The universe was a strange and unusual place, designed by those who deemed certain things to be the norm, such as random musical numbers, multiple dimensions and even floating baby heads. For Isabella most of these things she could accept with ease but one thing she couldn't stand was the fact that physically, mentally and emotionally girls matured faster than boys. It wasn't the science or evolutionary logic she didn't understand but more the fact that this biological force had thrown her in the deep end with her best friend and honestly, she constantly wished her maturity could have slowed down. At least until a certain red head had caught up.

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro had lived across from the Flynn-Fletcher family from before the hyphenation occurred. But it was only due to the Fletcher family moving in that Isabella met Phineas, something that Ferb likes to remind her of, though never in front of Phineas, not that it would have mattered. This was due to the fact that Phineas before that had never been to any of the group babysitting sessions that the neighbourhood kids had all previously met at, something about it being easier for a single mother to take her kids to work with her, but with the slightly older European boy now a part of the house next door made her mother decide to finally introduce her two-year-old daughter. Honestly she didn't remember meeting Phineas at all, just vague stories of how she was absolutely head over heels for the new boy's strange accent and followed him around for the rest of the night. Which made sense in the small community, shiny new toys and all that.

Her first very specific memory of Phineas was one of the two brothers first inventions that they built together, she couldn't remember what it looked like or what it was supposed to do but she could remember the brothers had seen her trip earlier trying to skip and them somehow deciding that whatever the machine did it would cheer her up. What she did remember in very specific detail was it exploding and the shocked look across Phineas' very black face. She had expected him to start crying and to run away from the broken thing. But instead he laughed look over at her and smiled, charred cheeks contrasting with white teeth, he then commented to Ferb about trying again until it worked because you never stopped with failure. She had been so inspired by him, that she got up and ran back to keep practicing. From that point onwards she was always so in awe of the enthusiasm and perseverance that Phineas had and seemed to inspire in all those around him, that falling in love with him wasn't difficult. He always thought the best of people and most times people became their best while being around him. Whether it was in trying to keep up with him and his craziness or trying to outdo him and his brother, the people around him always gave it their all. Especially those closest to him. Ferb was a silent young boy with a sharp wit and understanding of how everything works, usually in the engineering and mechanical sense but often Isabella wonders, especially in certain social situations, if he just has an unending knowledge about all things, specifically a knowledge of people. Nevertheless, Isabella knows that without the direction that Phineas gave in his outspoken nature, Ferb probably would have settled for a normalcy that would have allowed him to blend in with the crowd, instead she sees how Ferb flits happily, as outwardly happy as Ferb can be, around his brother accepting each challenge Phineas throws his way.

Candace is another example, her dedication to whatever she is currently doing is incredible and solely due to the fact of the many, many failures of trying to catch her brothers out. Isabella notices that as long as Candace is passionate about something she will give it her all. Heart, body, soul and then some. Isabella like to imagine a world where the Flynn-Fletcher children are normal. Where Candace busts her younger brothers tracking mud into the house or trying to create a pillow fort. Where the only things that Phineas and Ferb do is play normal video games and have normal fun outside. It is there she often gives up, because the world is so changed by the boys that it impossible to see any world with them as average.

Mostly of course she thinks of how she has changed, how she became this person she is today. She thinks about how she has become someone who her younger self would have been jealous of. One of the few people to ever gain all the fireside girl patches, leader, soccer player, future valedictorian and so much more. She had given her all to stay caught up with Phineas, to be a needed part of his life and for a long time she was happy to just be where she was in terms of their relationship. Satisfied with the small moments that happen that always seemed to validate all the effort she put into her love. She had always been working to stay caught up with him until he finally caught up with her emotions.

Isabella usually had these thoughts in passing, flittering moments. But today, the last day of summer before she became a sophomore, she sat contemplating what the inhabitants of the house she had lived across from her whole life truly meant to her. She thought about what Phineas meant to her. And there on the steps outside she decided, she would do the one thing she loved Phineas the most for NOT doing. She was going to give up.


	2. Chpt 2: Taking It Easy

**Taking It Easy**

It didn't start off easy.

She hadn't expected it to be. She had had thirteen years of conditioning towards him. She just wanted to stop obsessing over him, not completely shut him out. He wouldn't even understand why if she did. And, let's be honest here, she loved him. So randomly leaving him and hurting him was not something she could see herself doing.

Instead she started small. Like not going out with them every lunch, or planning more activities with only the fireside girls. She still spent time with them. Just not as obsessively often enough like she used to. She honestly hoped that no one would notice her skilled avoidance, it wasn't as if she was being completely out of character, but a few weeks into the new semester and someone noticed.

It just went to show how observant Ferb was, that he noticed what she was doing before any of her closest troop members did. It was on the first weekend of school, the group had planned a get together with all of their less close school friends with Linda and Lawrence's permission, in Phineas and Ferb's backyard. Nothing crazy just a barbeque with a movie on later, it was a tradition they had started in Junior high, when they realised that despite their awesome friendship, each group member made a different group of friends, Baljeet got together with the computer and math lovers, Buford with a mix of football and drama club members, and so on. So this tradition was something they always did and something she enjoyed. She had gone out earlier on her own to fetch groceries and supplies with her new driver's license and now was working in the kitchen with Candace whose internal monologue was entertaining Isabella to no end.

"This is something the boys could be busted for, but Mom gave them permission. But it's a party. Hopefully it will get wildly out of hand. Then I can take pictures and bust them. Isabella pass the cucumber. BUT I am a responsible College Law student, I shouldn't let a party of young teenagers get too out of hand. Holding the knife like this would help cut those quicker." She demonstrates to Isabella.  
"Thanks Candace that works!"  
"Pleasure. BUT if I did let it get out of hand I could finally BUST THEM. BUT if I am irresponsible Jeremy would think I am terrible at being a responsible adult and as someone who can't look after teenagers…." Candace focuses intently on the beef patty in front of her then gasps dramatically, "WHAT IF HE NEVER WANTS TO HAVE CHILDREN WITH ME? The horror! Wait! If I ask Stacy's opinion and make HER the one who lets them be irresponsible…"  
"Hey Candace, where is Stacy?" Isabella had wondered about the lack of logic that was Stacy Hirano in Candace's life.  
"She went back to College early, apparently because she is pre-med and needed to go do extra work or something but really I think she just wanted to see Coltrane sooner and didn't want to tell Dr Hirano." She chuckles lightly and continues making patties, "I guess I am glad she is the first to head back to our apartment. Forces her to clean and buy food before I get back later."  
Candace's phone rings and her happy smile when she sees who the caller is, is enough to tell Isabella who it is. "I can finish up here Candace. Go talk to Jeremy. Tell him I say hi!"  
Candace giddily washes off her hands and answers her phone with a cute nickname and then is out the room. Isabella sighs as she looks over at all the buns still to be buttered and the burger patties to be finished. Moments later Phineas walks into the room, "Hey there, Watcha doing?" He sing-songs as he walks around the counter and pulls into the spot Candace had previously occupied.  
"Just fixing enough food to feed an army of ravenous crazy people."  
"And by that you mean enough to feed about six teenage boys." He laughs and starts helping cut and prepare the food.  
"I honestly don't understand how you guys can eat so much non-stop. It's like you have bottomless pits instead of stomachs. I literally saw Buford eat an entire 2 pounds of calamari. **(A/N 1 KG OF PRAWNS).** For breakfast. Followed by a normal breakfast."  
"He probably just did it for revenge against that squid that took his fish all those years ago. And yeah, we may eat a lot but at least what we eat makes sense. You girls have the strangest cravings sometimes!"  
"We do not!"  
"Cucumber in Chocolate Fondue?" He smirks as he remembers.  
"Well…Its delicious, chocolatey and refreshing." Isabella says defensively, it had been a moment of weakness in wanting a method for chocolate and she blushes as she remembers Phineas catching her.  
He laughs at her, "And it isn't even just boys who have bottomless stomach remember Candace and the Gordian knot?"  
"How could I…knot." She pauses and looks over at him.  
"Nice one." He chuckles and continues cutting.  
"I try." She smiles and for a while both Isabella and Phineas work in comfortable silence. It takes her a while to realise that for the first time in a long long while, Phineas and herself were alone. No Ferb or Fireside Girls to act as a buffer for her and she felt a rush of emotions for the boy next to her. Mostly the longing for it to just remain the two of them. In this domestic situation, she could almost picture that this was them in their own home cooking in synchronicity after a long day of work, they already were in a rhythm working with each, as if they had been doing this many times before. A part of her really wanted to let the knife in her hand nick her finger, he would lean over to help her, hold her hand and caringly bandage it and look into her eyes, maybe he would lose himself there and kiss her.  
She practically snarls at her inner self. She couldn't afford this amount of thought and effort to be wasted on someone who would never realise. She didn't say or do anything romantic towards the oblivious red head next to her but she did hold onto the knife particularly tightly until they were done.

Later after the party had begun she was starting to feel more relaxed, she didn't have to be around Phineas and it wouldn't be obvious with the amount of people there if she was avoiding him. Also Ferb was back, which meant that even if her tactics didn't work she still had him as interference. She committed herself to enjoy the rest of the night. The whole point of giving up on him was to NOT be wasting energy on someone who didn't even realise it and actively avoiding him still meant she was obsessing over him. Just in a different way.  
So throughout the night she had fun, she got involved in a card game Buford and some others were playing, had an in depth discussion with some computer nerd over the newest superhero movie, made dinner with her troop and eventually sat down on a beanbag in front of the projector screen to watch the movie they had decided on. Halfway through the movie she got up and went to the kitchen. "What are you doing?"  
She was accustomed to Ferb and the way that he moved in the background, she had learnt when she was younger to have a six sense for him after the many many awkward moments of pulling her moves on him accidently instead of Phineas. "I thought I would make popcorn," She shows the microwavable bag to Ferb, "It is not as if I haven't seen the Grievance movies before." She chuckles at the screams she hears outside. Before putting the bag into the microwave.  
"You know that's not what I meant." He stands arms crossed in front of her.  
"I have no idea what you are talking about."  
"Yes you do, Isabella what did he do? I really don't believe he shot you down again, even unknowingly. And yet you have been…not here." He has to think about how to describe her willing absence.  
"How did you even realise?" She jumps up onto the counter, from her spot she can see Phineas watching the screen intently, she notices him trying not to flinch at the scary parts but failing.  
"You have been around us for long enough to notice you not coming by as often."  
"He hasn't." The popcorn starts popping filling the usual silence of Ferb.  
"Is that what it is then? A way to get his attention?" Both sets of eyes are now watching the unknowing red-head outside.  
She pulls her eyes away and hops off the counter to get the popcorn, "Would you believe me if I said no? It is actually the opposite." She empties the bag into a bowl and smiles at the buttery smell.  
" You haven't." Ferb actually sounds slightly shocked.  
She turns to him and for some reason she feels teary. "I can't anymore, you know? It hurts too much to be the only one who thinks about having a life together. And I have realised that it might even be better, for the both of us. It's unfair towards him, because at this point he might feel obligated to be with me, I mean he can be with whomever he wants and I… I can put all this love and effort in to my own life." She realises this is the first time she has spoken her thoughts and suddenly what she is doing seems so much more real and hurts a lot more.  
"This is your choice and yours alone. If it really is too much now, I can understand why. He isn't as smart with people as he is with our inventions. I am so sorry Isabella."  
She hates him for being so kind because even though she tries a few ridiculous tears fall. Ferb sees this and comes to hold her while she finally lets herself feel what she has been hiding. She holds on to him and he gently rubs her back. "I have got to say that this was out of the blue. What happened?"  
And so she lets it all out, the years of failings and let downs. All the hopes and rejections that Phineas has created. Every tale that she felt was super important in their relationship but turned out to be just another trip further into the friend-zone. "…. I think the only way that he even sees me as something different than you guys, is the fact that my biology might be different in an experiment."  
Ferb filled his role as listener as perfectly as he would and eventually after the popcorn was finished and the movie outside was drawing to a close, Isabella finally felt lighter.  
"Well, the only thing I can say is that although you believe that he could have anyone, he really couldn't have anyone that would be better than you." Ferb smiles in his secretive way and Isabella sniffling flings herself back into his arms for another hug.  
She chuckles, "Why couldn't I have fallen for you? I feel as if my life would have been so much easier." They step away as she is speaking and outside the movie ends and people begin to mingle and chat.  
"Easier maybe. But almost impossible. He demands greatness, in himself and those around him, and delivers. He draws people in with that, he drew us in. And honestly you would only be a fireside girl who grew up and I would be the nerdy mute." His voice gets quieter as he speaks his mind and she is impressed with how much his thoughts reflect her own.  
"Your right. He created this environment," She nods to the mix of backgrounds and cliques outside, "that all these different people can be safe to interact. He made a place of growth that I don't think we would have been able to find anywhere else in the world." They stare out at the party and realise that their moment of comfortable companionship would soon end.  
"Thank you," she says, "for putting up with my crazy obsession for all these years. I don't know how you didn't go mad. And hopefully now that I have gotten this all off my chest I can try move on."  
"It won't be easy." He looks at her in slight worry and squeezes her shoulder.  
"I know, but it is a start." She squeezes his hand in return.  
A slight cough pulls their attention to the door to find the topic of their discussion standing in awkward confusion. "Oh I must look a mess," She sighs and can already feel the blush forming, "If you would excuse me." She walks deeper into the house to go collect herself.

The brothers watch her leave. "I know it's none of my business…"  
 _It really is,_ Ferb wants to say.  
"But she doesn't really look alright."  
 _She really isn't alright.  
_ "Can you tell me?"  
Ferb looks at him blandly.  
"Well can you give me a hint?" Phineas honestly looks worried.  
Ferb points at Phineas.  
"Boy trouble then?"  
 _He is as daft about her as Perry is about quantum physics. But technically…  
_ Ferb nods.  
Phineas sighs and looks really contemplative." You would tell me if it was really important?"  
Ferb opens his mouth.  
"I know you would, just make sure they don't hurt her okay?"  
 _That was surprisingly specific, and practically impossible. The only people I can't stop are her and you. And lo and behold who is hurting her.  
_ "She is really special and deserves the best. I just really hope and wish that nothing bad happens to her." Phineas looks at him deeply and then turns outside, his blatant discomfort on his face and Ferb realises that Isabella may have given up at a very inopportune time.


	3. Chpt 3: He Knows Nothing

**He Knows Nothing.**

She felt better after her talk with Ferb but now she stressed over another thing entirely else as she realised something more about Ferb. After that talk she found that she had never really spoken to the silent brother like that before. And then she got to thinking and tried to remember anytime that she had seen him with friends that weren't Phineas's as well. She wondered if Ferb had any friends that didn't surround Phineas. Then she came to a horrific realisation that maybe Ferb only had friends _BECAUSE_ of Phineas.

Maybe the younger sibling drew so much attention to himself that Ferb often got overlooked. She tried to remember a time where she and Ferb had spent time together apart from Phineas and drew a blank with the exception of the night at the barbeque. She was confused at how she hadn't spent that much time alone with a boy that she considered to be one of her closest friends. Then she felt the guilt. About how she, and everyone else, doted on one brother and not the other.

Isabella had been stewing on the thought about Ferb and the relationship that he had with everyone else for a long time. She knew it was because she didn't have anything else going on right now, except for school projects that were due in four weeks and despite her dedication to her studies, she really wasn't that overzealous. So instead she overthought. Until it began driving her insane with guilt. Eventually she got herself together, picked up her purse and keys and walked over to the house across the street, the house she hadn't visited without other people for the past few months, and knocked on the door.  
 _Please, please, please, please don't be him.  
_ The door opens to a bored looking Candace.  
 _Thank you.  
_ "Hey Isabella." Candace drones.

"Hey Candace, how are you?" She looks behind the red haired teen into the seemingly quiet house.  
"Boooorrrreeeedddd. The boys are doing homework. _Normal_ homework. Ugh, what am I supposed to do now? Uggghhhhh." She moans, "Sorry I will go get Phineas, maybe something bustable will happen." Candace turns into the house.

"Actually no. I didn't come for Phineas."

"What?" Candace shrieks.

From further inside the house Ferb emerges, "Hey Isabella."

"Hello Ferb! Are you busy right now? I have a license and there is a two for one hot dog sale at Slushy Dawg." She talks around the frozen Candace.

Ferb looks a little perturbed but nods, "Just me?"

"Well yeah, if you aren't up to anything?" She hopes she doesn't sound to desperate.

"Whawhawha…" Candace is now looking frantically between the two.  
"Okay. Let me just get ready." He turns and briskly walks up the stairs.

"You alright Candace?"

"Umm what? What about Phineas?" Candace looks visibly confused.

"Oh! Well he doesn't really need to know right?" _Poor Ferb deserves at least one afternoon with a friend without Phineas. "_ Besides I know Ferb finished his homework at lunch today." She knows because she sat with them both today and while Phineas was animatedly talking and describing how they were going to create the best Mac-and-Cheese Machine in the universe, Ferb was sitting off to the side on his own doing his homework. It was that moment that caused her to be here. She couldn't believe she had been so self-obsessed, _or Phineas-obsessed,_ to have never noticed how distant he was. During this time of Isabella contemplating her failure and beating herself up over it, Candace was having a mental break down.  
Before anything more could be said between the two girls Ferb comes down the stairs and Isabella smiles and together the two friends walk out the door to her car. Without noticing Candace freaking out when they drove off.

Once inside the car Isabella turns on the radio and a song by that rabbit kid and his blender comes on, "I really don't like this song. Or any of his music. If I wanted to listen to a weird looking person mash a button and make blender music, I would listen to Dubstep." She smiles and Ferb makes a slight chuckle. "Since the radio's choice in music is bust why don't you choose something I have a streamer on my phone."  
A moment of silence sits before some average pop music comes on. "Really? I never took you for a Demi Lovato fan." She peers at him from the corner of her eye. "Really I thought you would be like into classical or maybe something acoustic?"  
He shrugs.  
"Awww, come on. Are you secretly a generic music lover? Should I put Marty back on? I probably just insulted your favourite artist didn't I?" She teases him and then regrets it as they sit in silence for an awkward amount of time. 

"No actually." He breaks the silence and choses another track, an instrumental one, "I love listening to movie soundtracks. And Marty isn't my favourite, he does do interesting covers but with the whole blender thing, I agree with you completely." 

"Oh thank goodness, I honestly thought I had offended you." They sit in silence as she marvels at the sound for a while, "Movie soundtracks then." They reach the city and she parks and gets out the car.

"Honestly I started listening to them to better understand the whole movie making process in hopes of learning about directing, then I just heard some of the music and it was awesome." They walk together down the road until they reach a Slushy Dog. "I am sure that there is one of these closer to home." He looks at her a bit sceptically.

"Well, yes…" She looks away from him and blushes. _Mom would kill me for coming to a place that isn't our newly opened restaurant._ "I have my reasons."

Ferb raises an eyebrow.

"Let's just say certain people close to home don't need to know about this." She states while looking over at him knowingly.

Ferb looks at her weirdly and quickly rushes inside. She follows him and together they stand contemplating the menu. When they order she insists on paying, since its only one dog and she asked him to come. She wants to learn more about him, like the soundtrack thing, she is interested in all the stuff she didn't know about one of her closest friends, she wonders off hand if his blood sugar is low since he seems to be shaking slightly. When the food comes she happily chows down on the first take-out food she has had since Nosh Olé Mexican-Jewish Café had started.

"I am really glad we have done this, I have been really wanting to do this for so long now." She sighs happily.

Ferb is now fully shaking and some of the hot dog mustard drops onto his purple shirt. Seeing this she leans forward to go for a napkin and although she thinks its gross, prepares to spit a bit so she can hopefully not stain the shirt. Suddenly Ferb exclaims, "I REALLY REALLY LIKE VANNESSA. "Isabella freezes and looks at her friend. "Like Like-like, not in a friend way. She is just so cool and I know that she is with Monty right now and I am younger than her and she most likely won't give me a chance but I really don't think doing anything with anyone would be a good idea with me still being so infatuated with her. So, this is the reason I can't date you right now."

 _WHAT?!,_ "WH…" Isabella practically chokes and despite his panicky tone she almost starts laughing.  
"No, Isabella! Before you try to persuade me or do anything else, you should realise that maybe you have shifted your Phineas infatuation on to me."

 _Ouch._ "Ferb."

"I know it may be hard to not have something to dedicate yourself to but I won't let you fall back into that mind-set. You need to focus on yourself and love yourself not some selfish boy." He takes another breath to continue. But stops when he sees Isabella smiling at him. "What?" She starts laughing at his expression. "I am being serious here Isabella!" 

"Sorry," She then loses herself in laughter at the situation, "It's just, hahaha, you think...hehehe, you thought. HAHA, what made you think that I liked you?" She started calming down a bit.

"You just tried to kiss me!" He accused.

"I did?"

"You were leaning towards me with your lips pursed! What else were you going to do?" He points at her challengingly. "And you wanted me alone here away without Phineas! You said you had reasons that you didn't want anyone at home to see us! You paid for my food and kept asking me first date kind of questions and then you said you had been wanting to do this for a while and… and…seriously what?!" He looks at her as she is trying to hold back her laughter again.

"That really does sound like I wanted this to be a date!" She laughs a bit then quietens when she looks at the normally collected boy's frazzled state. "I am sorry to disappoint, but Ferb this is all one huge misunderstanding."

He looks disbelievingly at her.

"Truly it is." She chuckles some more. "Just let me explain, I paid because _I_ asked you here. And yes, I didn't want anyone at home to see us, meaning my mother who feels that everyone must be solely loyal to our own restaurant, therefore I have been wanting to get take out for such a long time." She smiles at that. "I wasn't trying to kiss you, I just thought that yellow and purple were clashing colours and I was about to full soccer mom you and clean it." She points at his shirt.

"Oh," He grabs a napkin and starts to clean, "and everything else?"

She sighs as she thinks about his previous insinuation about infatuation. "You may have been slightly right about the thing with obsession. In the completely wrong way but the point still stands. It was just after that talk we had, it made me realise that you know me and everyone else so well, but I really don't know you and for someone I think of as my closest friend…it made me feel really guilty." She looks away and feels the blush creeping up her neck. "So I guess you could say that I am obsessed, just with being the best friend I can be to you, NOT your girlfriend."

"Wow." He studies her for a while. "So the questions and not bringing Phineas…"

"Yeah."

"That makes sense. Still, I am really sorry if I offend you by saying this, I am relieved that you weren't coming on to me. And don't feel too guilty about not knowing that much about me. I don't talk about myself that much to others or talk at all really. Didn't think that anyone would want to know. Thanks for attempting to do so, even if for previously stated reasons I was distant." He smirks and begins finishing his hot dog.

"I wouldn't say that it was a completely wasted attempt." She smiles and rests her head in her hands.

"No?" He chuckles.

"Nope," She pops her lips, "I learnt what music you like."

"True." Ferb starts grabbing the trays and trash.

"And I learnt you wouldn't let me be stupidly obsessed over the wrong person again."  
He smiles slightly at that and she waits for him to precariously balance it all in his hands before continuing, "So Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, hey?" She casually says while grinning slyly.  
For the second time in her life she watches Ferb lose his cool and fully laughs at his red face as he tries to not drop everything. 

Later when she drives him home, he puts on the complete soundtrack of Pride and Prejudice (she laughed at the thought of silent Ferb as Mr Darcy and the proud Vanessa as Elisabeth) and listened to him tell the story of how he first met Vanessa and what he liked about her. They laughed at the Paris story together and at how blind to Isabella Phineas was, but still managed commented on Ferb and Candace in that situation. When they got home they ended up sitting outside in her car as they go on and on about what he thinks and what he wants to do, eventually when the last notes of the music end he utters a silent, "Thank you." And gets out the car.

She hops out after him and hugs him tightly. "No, thank you."  
 _For coming out with me, for making me laugh, for wanting to protect me from myself, for the music, for the stories, for opening up to me, for putting up with me, for forgiving me for being a terrible friend all these years, for accepting my decision, for understanding why I gave up, for understanding why I NEEDED to give up…for everything._ She wishes she could say it all without sounding cliché.

He smiles, _I understand._

She returns it and leaves.

His smile drops though, as he turns to glance up at the face watching out the window.  
 _But does he?_


	4. Interlude: So Don't Tell

**Interlude: So Don't Tell**

Candace had planned on spending the day moping on her sorrow of trying to bust her younger brothers and maybe get in some of her university work done on the side-lines. She was sad because at this moment Ferb had his head stuck in some Geometry textbook in the kitchen while Phineas was frantically tapping away at his keyboard upstairs writing an essay on some boring history thing. She knew this because she had been standing behind him watching for the past few minutes.  
Then something disrupted her plans, something she had not expected at all.

The knocking downstairs didn't originally deter her from her inspecting. It was only when Phineas stopped typing did she realise. "Candace…" Phineas looks at her pleadingly.

"Fine! I'll go see who it is." She slowly backs out the room. Then changes her mind and rushes back in looks at him still working innocently, "I'm watching you!" She glares and gestures at him then runs out the room again. Downstairs she saw the silhouette of their next door neighbour and greeted the bow wearing teen. When Isabella asked how she was she began, bemoaning her boring fate for the rest of the afternoon. Then she had the epiphany that whenever Isabella was around Phineas always did something to impress her or make her smile. Internally she was wiggling with glee and told Isabella why as she turned to go fetch her youngest brother.

""Actually no. I didn't come for Phineas." With one sentence Isabella stopped Candace in her tracks. "What?" _Maybe they are planning something?_

"Hey Isabella" Her usually silent brother comments.  
 _Yeah, that must be it.  
_ "Hello Ferb! Are you busy right now? I have a license and there is a two for one hot dog sale at Slushy Dawg."

But Isabella's next question confuses Candace even more, but not as much as Ferb's bored response of "Just me?"

He seemed like he knew what was happening, unlike herself.  
"Whawhawhawha…" Candace knew she was stuttering but she couldn't to wrap her mind around Isabella not wanting to spend time with Phineas.

She looks between the two and tries to imagine what they could be up to.  
 _Maybe they want to surprise Phineas with something?  
_ With that in mind she asks Isabella, "What about Phineas?"

"Oh! Well he doesn't really need to know, right?"  
 _AHHA! So they are planning something for Phineas!  
_ "Besides at least Ferb already finished his homework at lunch today."  
 _Wait, what does that have to do with anything? …And why is she zoning out? Is she thinking something bustable? …why is she looking sad? Why would she be sad if she is planning a surprise… And now…is that,_ _ **guilt?**_ _Why would she be guilty for planning something with Ferb? Isabella wouldn't feel guilty unless she was hurting someone, but who could be hurting because of her? But it isn't just her is it? She is feeling guilty because of something to do with Ferb._

She doesn't notice the two leave the house but she does notice Isabella driving in the opposite direction to the closest Slushy Dog. That was the last straw for Candace and she decided that this situation was too much to deal with on her own, she could almost hear that blasted Zebra calling her Kevin already, so she pulled out her phone and on the second ring a voice answered.  
"Candace, I will vacuum the apartment when I am good and ready!" Stacy says sternly.  
"Isabella just came and asked Ferb if he wanted to go for food." Candace blurts out, " **Without Phineas.** "  
"WHAT?!" Stacy gasps. "No Coltrane, no one is dying, Isabella wanted to do something WITHOUT PHINEAS."  
Then faintly a masculine voice calls from the background, "WHAT?!"  
"She even went as far as to specifically tell me not to even tell Phineas that they were going to go out together." Candace continues her rant as she makes her way into the lounge.  
"Wait, couldn't they just be planning a surprise for him again?" Stacy asks.  
Candace flops down on the couch sideways, indulging in the familiar moment from her teens, slouching when gossiping with her friend, "That's what I thought! But get this, she then mentions how she already knew Ferb could go out with her because she was watching him do his homework at lunch! She didn't mention Phineas being with them at all!"  
"Okay, Candace start from the beginning." Stacy seems to be picking something up.  
So Candace tells the story of how Isabella came to ask her brother out for food. With Stacy 'hmm'ing and 'ha'ing every so often. "…then she started looking guilty and after Ferb came down they drove AWAY from the Slushy Dog that us just a few blocks from here!"  
"Oh Candace." Stacy says sadly.  
"What?"  
" They didn't just go out for food, she came to ask him out. Like out out." Stacy says calmly.  
"No ways! Isabella could never do that to Phineas! I mean Ferb would have had to have a much bigger reaction, unless they have done something like this before. Like their lunches… No, no ways."  
"Yes ways."  
"There must be another explanation, but then why would she not want Phineas to come with them to lunch, better yet how come she wouldn't want him to know at all? Also she was guilty about something… she is only guilty when she hurts people, and the only way she could think to hurt him is to give up on him, and by asking not to tell him she won't hurt him. AND they drove off somewhere, most likely where no one who knows them can see them. OMG Stacy. They're dating aren't they?" The last part was whispered in disbelief.

"Well yeah." Stacy states.  
"BUT THEY ARE DATING!" Candace flips upside down and waves her arms around.  
"This might be the weirdest thing that has happened to us," Stacy sighs, "And we have literally had a mysterious force abduct you to a different dimension."  
Candace laughs lightly and both girls think over the current issue in silence.

"What am I supposed to do now? How am I going to tell Phineas?"  
"Well, in my opinion…"  
" Tell me what?" Phineas says from the staircase.  
"NOTHING." Candace shouts.  
"Really?"  
"Well that sounds suspicious, what I meant to say was… How am I supposed to tell you that you…ah… might have a problem… with um?"  
"PASTA." Stacy calls from the phone.  
" Yes, pasta, you might have a problem with deciding what…SAUCE, yes sauce you will have on your pasta tonight." Candace stumbles out quickly.  
"Not really, I will have whatever Mom makes us." Phineas shrugs and moves towards the kitchen.  
"Ah yes! The perfect solution to an easy problem!" Candace smiles. "And the only problem. Not like something is happening that no one would want you to know about. Or like unsuspecting drama is going to occur with whoever tells you that thing… That doesn't exist… Or have anything to do with your brother… yes, well done! I'm going to go do something very unsuspicious somewhere not here…bye." Candace rushes out of the lounge and up the stairs.  
"Smooth." Stacy says in her ear.  
"Oh be quiet! Pasta? What am I supposed to do with THAT?!"

"Well at least I..."

Phineas watches his sister as she hisses into her cell phone and vanishes up the stairs. He shrugs, knowing by now that somethings with Candace he will never understand, and vows not to let it distract him from the copious amounts of homework he still had since he had been planning his newest scheme instead of actually concentrating on school.  
He thinks about how lucky Ferb is that he managed to do some at lunch. It was weird that Ferb actually hadn't taken part in his planning. But maybe this is what happens when people grow up, they grow distant. He shakes the thoughts out of his head and goes back to his homework, but try as he might he cannot stop himself staring out the window and thinking about what everyone already seemed to know and the things no one wished to tell him.


	5. Chpt 4: Parking Lot, Why Not?

**Parking Lot, Why Not?**

It had been three months since she had started hanging out with Ferb. After many attempts of trying to find a common ground that wasn't Phineas related, they had found a comfortable routine. It had been interesting to figure out what they actually had in common when the boy she loved was out of the picture. After school had finished they sat across from each other at a table just outside the library swapping stories of the day and doing homework together. Often others would join them and the work would fly by in laughter but on a Tuesday as everyone drifted back home, they would shift to a bench just bordering the parking lot, and their routine would start.

It had originally started the day his heart had been broken. It happened on a Tuesday, the day had started of fantastically for the chilly season, sunny with a light fluff of clouds gave the day a decidedly summer tone despite the still nippy temperature. Ferb had been incredibly anxious in his Ferb way and Isabella had been incredibly pleased when she picked up on it, as it meant she was becoming a greater friend. She had noted how he would casually look at his phone, then pull out some piece of tech and fiddle before losing focus and staring off into the distance, generally very normal behaviour with the exception of his feet. They would be in constant movement, circling and tapping, barely noticeable. Unless you really focused on him.

What she was less pleased to figure out was that without even looking at Phineas she knew that he already knew that Ferb was anxious and he knew what his brother was anxious about. She also could _feel_ that he was happy about whatever was irking his brother AND that he thought his brother was being silly over the fact that he was worrying. If anyone else knew that she could tell all this from him standing in her peripherals, they would be greatly impressed. But not Isabella, she was more focused on how pathetic she was for knowing exactly what this boy was feeling with a fleeting glance. But she forced herself away from her obsessive thoughts and moved closer to where Phineas was standing.

"Hello everyone!" She greeted Phineas, Baljeet and Ginger.

Her salutations are returned and after swapping various pleasantries she starts on the topic.

"So, uh...what's up with Ferb?" She watches as the group glances at the sombre boy.

"Whatever do you mean Isabella?" Baljeet looks at her in confusion, a look that is shared with Ginger.

Phineas chuckles lightly, "I'm surprised someone else noticed."

"Well, he isn't normally this anxious is he? Or am I really that blind?" Isabella giggles and pulls at her pony tail.

The other two just look at the teen who looks as bored and ambivalent as one can get. The two share a look.

 _Anxious?_ Ginger mouths.

Baljeet just shrugs in response.

"No, he isn't, but it is not every day a certain gothic girl comes back from college." He shakes his head smiling.

"Well that explains a lot, is he going to see her?"

"Yes, actually she invited him to have lunch with her today."

"What really? No wonder he is all over the place." She giggles as she picks up Ferb's foot start jiggling again.

"Well I'm impressed," Phineas gives a small smile, "not a lot of people can notice these things about him."

Isabella frowns as she thinks of how unfair that fact is. And how she was going to be a much better friend, "I have only picked up on it recently. He did the same thing on a larger scale a few weeks ago with me." She has a small smile at the Slushy Dawg incident. "And I should be able to notice these things with the amount of time we have spent together."

It amazes her that Phineas actually seems to get what she is saying and he placates her by changing the subject. Isabella doesn't notice the looks that Ginger and Baljeet are throwing at each other and the words mouthed in shock.

It was later after lunch that she observed that something was very wrong with Ferb, in all the classes she shared with him he didn't write anything, he just sat there… _fiddling._ With the same small machine. Saw him destroy and remake it again and again. Phineas had shared a worried look with her but didn't know what was up with his brother either. And so she sat and watched as the calm and collected boy she had grown up with seemed to be losing control.

She found him on a bench by the parking lot. He had his headphones in and seemed to be glaring at the machine in his hand. She had slowly walked into his field of vision and gestured at the seat next to him. He nods and for a moment she sits and wonders what to do next. He decides for her and offers her an earbud, she sits and listens to the piano play and for a moment she loses herself in the way the music flows through her. And as the end draws near she feels conflicted as something tells her this seemingly light and almost hopeful song has this underlying tone of having lost something. The next song starts playing and she is surprised to hear Japanese being sung.

"What is this?" She sighs in amazement.

"It's the Original Soundtrack to an Anime movie, beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah. Why is it so hopeful, yet still so sad?"

"Ah, you'll have to see the movie to figure that out…"

"Maybe I will…"

They sit and appreciate the sound for a while.

"She is moving in with him." He looks at her and shrugs.

"What?"

"Vanessa. She is moving in with Monty. He asked her last week and she said yes. She is back in town to break the news to her dad." He starts pulling the poor machine to pieces again.

"Oh, Ferb…" Isabella isn't really sure what to do.

"You what to know why?" He doesn't wait for her answer, "Because obviously that is the next step right? You know she asked me that? As if she wasn't really sure, so she wanted my advice. Because I always know what to do. She wanted _ME_ to tell her that she was doing the right thing." He chuckles and starts savagely rebuilding the thing.

"What did you say?" She looks over at him but he doesn't look up at her.

"I, uh, ran away." He stops and looks at her, his face stricken.

She stares at him. "Wait really?"

His face breaks into a small smile, "I may have gone to the bathroom and just left."

They stare at each other for 3 seconds and then break into laughter. The get a few weird looks from passers-by but neither of them notice as they lose themselves in laughter. Eventually their laughter dies down and she looks over at him. "Well that absolutely sucks. What in the world is wrong with people?"

"Not everyone… just the stupidly oblivious ones. Our stupidly oblivious ones." He sighs and leans back to look up at the sky.

"Well I knew that I got this for some reason." She leans down and pulls out a tub of chocolate ice cream with two spoons.

He chuckles again and takes it from her as she shivers slightly from the chilly wind that is blowing around her. He pops the lid and has a spoonful and then offers her the other spoon. "No thank you, I didn't think the whole ice cream on an ice day thing through."

"Wait a sec, hold this." He hands her the tub and starts fiddling with his box thing again. "There! Now just place that here, awesome and…." He touches a button and then gestures with one hand at the now molten ice cream. _Voila!_

She takes a hesitant spoonful of the liquid treat and tasted the warm dessert. While Ferb happily chows down.

"I don't know if I like this." She looks sceptically at the hot cream.

"It's not bad, just weird in texture…maybe with nuts or something… I could enjoy this."

"You're nuts." She mumbles but takes another spoon anyway

He laughs and she is glad that she can not only read his moods, but help them as well.

A week after that event she finds him on the bench again, he bought marshmallows this time and Disney's Mulan soundtrack. The week after, she discusses the Anime movie that she had found and watched, while eating sushi. The week after, is curry and the description of what makes Bollywood music so interesting. And so on and so on.

Isabella feels strangely satisfied with their arrangement and after their 12th meeting, she realised that none of their conversations were ever centred on Phineas. It had taken her a decade and a bit to become true friends with Ferb, not at all for Phineas, and she finally realises that she might have made the biggest improvement since she had given up.


	6. Chpt 5: I Can't Stop This Feeling

**I Can't Stop This Feeling**

"And that is why I wish to create half a hundred small Equus Caballus models, and one large Anatid." The Indian boy finishes his lecture and then collapses his metal pointer whilst looking at his two friends.

"So, you want us to create robots with accurately scaled strength to their new sizes as well as have their source material be the same metier as their originals?" Phineas simplifies.

"Yes."

"So, you can win your argument against Buford if he would win in a fight against 50 duck sized horses and one horse sized duck?"

"That would be the goal."

"Well you could have just asked instead of doing all this," Phineas gestures towards the array of presentations and models behind Baljeet. It wasn't as if he minded the display of Prezi, Excel spreadsheets and to scale models but he was pretty sure they could have been half way to making the prototype in the time it took to sit through it.

"Yes, but I was bored and you two weren't replying to my messages." He defends with a huff.

"Okay let us see then, how do we start on this." Phineas looks over at his brother and Ferb spins his laptop around showing them the blueprints and schemas he had obviously been planning while Baljeet had been talking.

"Great! Would you mind ordering the parts? They always seem to deal with you quicker." He wonders why that is but Ferb just shrugs and Phineas lets it pass and proceeds to continue working on the plans that Ferb had left him.

A moment of silence passes as Phineas scratches out plans and formulas while Baljeet begins to pack his presentation away.

"So, what's going on with Ferb and Isabella?" His friend asks from behind a series of models.

"What do you mean?" Phineas is lost in calculations on how feathers would affect the duck's defence.

"Well, are they dating or not?"

Phineas suddenly is pulled out of his musings. "What?"

"Well you have to have noticed they have been spending a lot of time together."

He sighs and continues with his work, "Well they are friends."

"Yeah, but they are like always together now days. And they always spend afternoons talking to each other and cuddling on that bench outside school."

Phineas rolls his eyes, "They are not cuddling, they listen to music and eat snacks."

"Well, I guess you would know, being their best friend and all. It's not as if they are suddenly distant or anything."

Phineas stops writing. "What do you mean distant?"

"Well, I mean if I were dating my best friends brother I would probably want to keep my two lives separate, so I don't confuse things. And I would try keep it from my friend, because I wouldn't want to change the dynamic of our friendship."

Phineas stays silent.

"They are avoiding you, aren't they?" Baljeet states sadly.

"No, they aren't." He starts his calculations again and states, "She has a busy schedule Baljeet, hell I am not even sure if her mother could name all the clubs and societies she is on. It is no wonder she doesn't have any time."

"She has time for music and snacks."

With a sigh, Phineas turns around to look at his Indian friend, "They are allowed to be friends."

He then proceeds to work in earnest on Ferb's plans.

Baljeet finishes packing his display away and comes over to help with the blueprints, "Well, I think they are dating, AND I am not the only one." He adds at Phineas' look of exasperation. "Just take some time to notice how they act when the two of them are together next time she is around."

"The next time who is around?" Ferb asks from the doorway.

Phineas looks at Baljeet who remains silent with a blush growing across his cheeks and snorts before returning to the laptop. No way is Baljeet right, Isabella was still the same girl who would take each adventure in her stride, smiling at his side at each challenge. The girl who always seemed to know exactly what she needed to do and how to achieve all her goals and yet still came to him for help with badges, homework and life. That hadn't changed without him noticing, right?


	7. Chpt 6: Deep Inside of Me

**Deep Inside of Me**

Isabella was late, she had meant to leave much earlier but for the life of her she couldn't find her team jersey. She was meant to be warming up to play soccer with the Tri-State women's team and she still had to drive the 15 minutes to get there. She ran around her room flinging different items of clothing around in her attempt to search for it. She was so angry that she had misplaced this thing, especially when it was the first match of the season. AND she was captain.

Eventually she just put a singlet on and ran across to the Flynn-fletcher household. The front door was locked and she first assumed no one was home when no one answered. But then she heard a ruckus from the backyard and quickly ran around to the back. The sight through the door was one she had seen a thousand times, blueprints and plans on a board with a variety of wood and metal parts scattered around the back yard. Phineas was giving directions to Ferb who was in a harness welding something she couldn't see at the top of their newest invention. Baljeet was standing in front of a white board writing out some complex equations. Ferb stopped welding for a second when an enraged Candace flies out the house and starts yelling at the boys.

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? MOM SPECIFICALLY PUT ME IN CHARGE AND NOW YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY DISREGARDING THAT FACT AND TRYING TO… Hey Isabella, what are you doing over?" Candace stops mid-rant when she catches sight of Isabella standing at the gate. "You're not helping them are you?"

Isabella quickly responds before Candace starts freaking out again, "No! Not this time at least," She chuckles.

"Oh, well then. How have you been?"

"Great actually, this year has been pretty fun so far and you? Excited to be heading back to College soon?"

"Yeah, I'm actually really excited to start a new semester! But I am a bit anxious about the stuff that will be happening whilst I'm gone." She looks over at her two younger brothers, Ferb has made his way back onto the ground and discarded his welding helmet and Phineas is just watching, seemingly confused. "Anyway, I was just about to go watch your match with Jeremy… How come you are still here?"

"Oh YES! Fudgesicles!" Isabella starts and runs closer to them, "Can you please somehow make a replica of my team shirt?" She glances between the boys before settling on Ferb, "I can't find it anywhere and thought maybe you could fabricate one for me?" Noticing how unconvinced Ferb looked she adds. "I would really owe you one! I'll even pay for melted ice cream with nuts! I mean you guys are so good at making things I thought that creating something like this would be easy! What do you say?"

Instead of the enthusiastic answer she is expecting, there is silence. She steps back and looks at the other boy. Phineas seems to be broken. He has his mouth slightly agape and is staring off over her shoulder. She glances behind her just to make sure some strange being hasn't suddenly appeared, and finding nothing looks back at Phineas. "Phineas? Are you okay?"  
When he still doesn't reply, she glances over at Ferb and doesn't miss the glare he is throwing at Baljeet, who seems to shrink into himself. Before glancing specifically at Candace who nods in return. Isabella feels as if she has missed an entire conversation between the siblings and for the first time in forever, she doesn't know what to do around the Flynn-Fletchers.

Suddenly Candace exclaims "Wait! You're talking about your soccer jersey!"

Once again, she looks at the blank Phineas but replies to Candace, "Yeah, I have that match now and can't find it anywhere! I was hoping that the boys would help."

Candace quickly grabs Isabella and starts dragging her inside, "Well of course you wouldn't be able to find it! You had some serious grass stainage from last season so you gave it to the boys to clean in our jacked up super washer, remember?" Candace explains this as she digs through a cupboard in the laundry. "AH HA! Here it is!" Candace pulls out the missing item and hands it over to Isabella.

Still in a state of confusion Isabella glances at the shirt and then in the direction of the backyard. Suddenly there is a loud yelp from outside and then footsteps rushing upstairs. Isabella moves to follow and see if whoever ran upstairs was okay but before she could make her way towards the foyer, Ferb walks in with Baljeet trailing behind looking anywhere but her. It confirms her belief that it was Phineas and she wants to go check on the boy but instead Ferb steps in her way and reminds her. "Aren't you supposed to be playing right now?"

"Yeah but is he…"

"He's fine, it was a temporary side effect from the prototype of the machine we are building. He just got lost in his thoughts for a while. I'll explain everything properly later! Now go! Don't miss the first match of the season!" Ferb gently pushes her towards the door and Candace nods encouragingly.

"Come visit after the match if you are so worried! But don't lose! It will just give me another reason to bust the boys!" Candace lightly chuckles.

Finally looking at both teens and seeing no stress in their eyes she turns and runs to the car. She glances back once more only to see a shut door and with that she starts driving towards the soccer fields hoping she wasn't too late.


	8. Chpt 7: Girl You Just Don't Know

**Girl You Just Don't Know**

They watched Isabella run to her car before closing the door and turning to each other.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Candace yelled at Ferb.

It was not common knowledge, but the one thing that law school had taught Candace was how to lie convincingly. Looking at her now Ferb can truly appreciate this newly learned skill, as had Isabella seen this Candace instead of the one previously standing by the open door, she would have sprinted upstairs in a heartbeat.

"An unforeseen complication to something I thought was relatively simple…" Ferb shrugs.

"I always knew something was going to go wrong with your experiments one day, just didn't expect that it would come through like this…" She looks up the stairs.

"Actually, it wasn't an experiment failure. The only damage he might have gotten was from where I poked him with this after you left." Ferb states and shows the screwdriver which he held previously unnoticed in his hand.

Candace looks at him in confusion, "But you said that…"

"A lie to get her to her match. The real cause of what happened our friend can only tell." And he gestures at Baljeet, who cringes at being noticed.

"It is not my fault!"

"Well, whatever you said to him earlier must have had some effect on him." Ferb begins to make his way back to the stairs. Looking unconcerned about whatever it was that Baljeet had done.

Candace looks at him curiously, "What did you point out?"

Baljeet looks nervously at Ferb and then back at Candace, "Nothing that shouldn't have been obvious."

"Well we all know that Phineas is the King of Oblivious Baljeet, so what did you tell him specifically?"

"Well it isn't my fault that he couldn't see what had been happening right under his nose. How was I supposed to know that he didn't know what was going on? I assumed anyone of basic intelligence on human relations could see it and make the proper assumptions." Baljeet seems to switch from his guilt to a slight smug attitude.

"And what were those assumptions?" The older girl begins to get annoyed.

"Well it was an apparent observation that I, as a person in a relationship, should very well have much insight into..." The boy begins to lecture

"Baljeet!" Candace growls in annoyance and begins to walk towards him.

In fear Baljeet whimpers and raises his arms and quickly rambles, "I just asked if he knew Ferb and Isabella were dating!"

A bump is heard from the stairs where they turn to see Ferb stumble over a step. "WHAT?"

Candace just sighs and turns back to the Indian boy, "Oh, yeah, those assumptions."

"Ah, so you know." Baljeet nods solemnly.

"Yeah, I do, it was pretty blatant."

"You mean with all the cuddling and avoiding Phineas?"

"Didn't know about the cuddling, but I knew about the dates."

"So there were actual dates!"

They keep discussing the topic as Ferb gets up from his sprawled position on the stairs and makes his way down. He has a quick glance towards his shared bedroom and wonders how on earth it came to this.

"Who would have thought that she would reach this point?" Baljeet bemoans.

"You mean who would have thought that she would be able to have a life without putting all of her effort on planning how to get a boy to notice her?"

The two turn and look at Ferb now standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Who would have thought she would be able to step away from something that was obviously hurting her, even though that step is killing her?" Ferb shifts his weight and crosses his arms, which in Ferb language was just the same as shouting. "Or do you just mean you who would have thought that she could have a life without Phineas?"

Candace looks down in guilt whilst Baljeet looks back in defiance. "Actually, I was saying that I never would have imagined her dating you, don't you think you're betraying Phineas?" Instead of the shock or anger Baljeet expects, the green haired boy just looks incredibly sad.

"Isabella had the right idea, we spend so much time together as a friend group, but in the end, we don't know a thing about each other." He shakes his head and starts walking back up the stairs. "She isn't his property, she has the right to choose whoever she wants."


	9. Chpt 8: What You Do to Me

**What You Do to Me.**

Ferb reaches the landing and makes his way to their room, the door is closed and so he knocks. He hears silence inside and slowly opens the door. Their room hasn't really changed that much since they were kids, Phineas had put some records up on the wall and Ferb had found some rock posters but beyond that, nothing has changed. He could almost imagine that they were 9 years old again.

The daydream doesn't last long as the situation at hand drew him back to reality. His brother was sitting on his bed stroking Perry and staring out the window. Ferb went and sat on his own bed. Usually what would happen in these situations was that Ferb would remain quiet until Phineas began to talk. But for the first time Ferb didn't know what to do with his brother. He didn't know if Phineas would even want to talk to him.

"Isabella is a girl."

Silence broken, Ferb looks at him confused. Phineas sighs, "Don't look at me like that, I know she is female but she's a girl. Like a…a person? But not like our person? She is you know… Why can't I explain this?" Perry jumps off his lap as Phineas stands up and starts pacing the room.

Ferb tilts his head trying to understand. Phineas looks at him and Ferb realises that his brother doesn't seem to be mad or hurt or betrayed… so Ferb ignores what he thinks this conversation is about and nods, _carry on._

"Ugh, you see it's like she is new but not?"

"She has changed."

"No, yes, I don't know! She is still the exact same person but its suddenly like there is so much more to that same person that I never knew…" Phineas crosses his arms and looks uncomfortable.

"Because she is a girl?"

"Yes!"

"Or because _you_ have realised that she is a girl?"

Phineas sits on the chair by his desk. He closes his eyes and leans back. Ferb can't believe it but it seems like his brother looks…defeated. Phineas sighs again and open his eyes to stare at Ferb. "For our friend, she is pretty."

Ferb stays silent.

"Yes, I know she has always been pretty."

Ferb just looks at him.

"She's HOT, okay! Is that what you wanted me to say? The way she looked coming over here in those shorts, with her hair up! And that shirt! What even was that? When did she…" Phineas gestures to his chest and then realises what he is doing and throws his hands up in the air.

Ferb knows he should probably act surprised, but he can't help wanting to laugh at the look on his brother's face. "Don't laugh at me! When did she become more of that then her old self? Is she more of her old self or is she completely new?" Phineas seems distressed with this last comment.

Suddenly Ferb realises what this is about. "She's not going to stop being friends with you just because she has become attractive Phineas."

"I know she wouldn't! It's just…it's just…"

"If you missed all of this happening, how can you know that she hasn't changed otherwise? Or will change?"

Phineas looks at him and runs his hands through his hair, "Yeah, how come you can say exactly want I'm thinking?"

He shrugs. And Phineas gets up and flops onto his bed, "I just can't believe that something like this went over my head completely! She is growing up, what if that means she is also growing out of us." Phineas pauses and looks over at Ferb. "Or maybe just me?"

He knew this would come up and he starts to object but Phineas cuts him off with a bland stare, "I know you guys aren't dating Ferb. I know that you would tell me besides its ridiculous! Everyone can see how blatantly smitten you are with Vanessa…were with Vanessa."

He gives him a glare and Phineas smiles a bit, "Sorry! Too soon." Phineas sits up and looks across at him. "I won't lie though, I am jealous. You guys are spending so much time together doing things and its stupid because I don't want her all to myself… but I miss her, she hasn't asked me for help with homework, or come with to plan adventures or design machines with me anymore. And I'm lost. What if she finds someone more important? Guys must be flocking towards her."

 _It's amazing how his mind works, he is justifying all of this through friendship._ Ferb ponders this and then asks, "What is really bothering you Phineas?"

"She doesn't really need me anymore. She has her school, sport and social life sorted, she doesn't need to come to me for help with her fireside patches anymore. All her problems she can solve by herself and when she can't… she asks you for help! What am I supposed to do if I am not needed?"

"You don't have to be needed by her to be her friend, you just need to make plans that don't clash with the rest of her life… you don't need to solve her problems, just hang out with her. Find out more about the sides of her that you have never seen."

Phineas looks down at his hands, "Okay." Then he smiles, "Thanks, that helped."

 _Now, to clarify._ "So, when you zoned out earlier…"

"It was because I realised that I am not a needed part of her life anymore."

 _Liar._ "And that epiphany happened because…."

"Baljeet made me think she might be changing, when I saw her I actually noticed how she had changed in image and in behaviour."

"So, you weren't just checking her out in her sports gear?"

"Oh, definitely not! I catalogued the changes and noticed she was attractive…but that's irrelevant, it was because of the changes that I had my epiphany."

 _So much denial brother, you would think you were drowning in an Egyptian river._ "Well that's good to know." _Might as well have some fun with it_."Just be glad she didn't catch you… _cataloguing_ her…" Ferb looks down and mimics Phineas' earlier gesture by his chest.

"You saw that?" Phineas looks at him in shock which quickly changes into embarrassment as he hides his red face in his hands.

"Yep and your refusal to make eye contact with her afterwards."

Phineas looks across at him. "Ferb."

He grins in response.

"Shut up."

Ferb chuckles as he ducks under the pillow Phineas threw at him. He is happy that this went very differently that what he had imagined.

 _This entire situation is a mess,_ he looks at his brother trying to hide his face in a pillow, _but we are getting there._


	10. Chpt 9: Hooked on a Feeling

**9\. I'm Hooked On a Feeling**

Phineas couldn't stand the incredibly awkward atmosphere that had somehow formed between Baljeet and Ferb whilst he had been having his epiphany. The icy glares they had been throwing at each other had made focusing on work that much harder and so when they ran out of feathers Phineas jumped at the chance to escape. So here he was at the Superduper Mega Superstore wondering whether giant duck feathers would be in the Furry Critters or Wacky and Weird supplies section, when his phone rang. "Hel…"

"It rained."

"…lo?"

"No, not rained! The entire Pacific Ocean fell from the sky onto the field, I was honestly expecting a shark or tuna to start falling as well! You would think that the ref would call the match off, right? But NO! We had to keep playing and our opponents, they… they believed they were fish or something! With the amount of time they spent flopping on the ground! We had to defend against them, ankle deep in mud, whilst they flailed around taking out half my team in unintentional side tackles!"

"Isabella?" Phineas guesses.

"And you know what the worst thing is? Do you? It's not the fact that you honestly cannot tell if my hair is black or brown with the amount of mud I have in it. Not the fact that I think I could start my own aquarium with the water in my socks. It is the fact that my car is dead. And I am the last one here. And I don't have a change of clothes, and my car is now dirty and I'm cold and I am going late to my Fireside Girls reunion and I don't have time to change and every one of those upstate girls are going to judge me and, and, and…" There is sniffling and Phineas realises she might actually be crying.

He knows fudge all on how to comfort a crying Isabella. Phineas panics wildly for a second, before he realises she probably couldn't get a hold of Ferb. "Do you want me to get Ferb? It's Phi..."

"I know it's you Phineas."

 _Oh._

"You must be busy."

 _Oooooooooh._

"I didn't mean to bother you."

 _She wants help._

"Sorry I'll just…" Isabella sniffs.

 _She wants_ _ **MY**_ _help._

"I'll be there in 3 minutes." Phineas starts running when an idea starts to form in his head.

"No seriously, Phineas I didn't mean to…"

"See you in a bit!" Phineas hangs up, before starting a flurry of calls and texts. He had a lot to plan in the walk to his car.

When he arrived at the field he found Isabella sitting in her car, her very muddy head resting against the steering wheel. He hops out and makes his way over to tap on her window, she looks up and squints at him in confusion before breaking out into a mile-wide smile. "Phineas!" She goes to hug him before remembering the state of her clothing. "Umm, maybe not. Thank you so much for coming!"

"It's no problem Isabella! I would never turn down a friend in need."

"Yes, a friend indeed." She mumbles.

"Pardon?"

"Oh no, I'm just grumbling about my terrible luck." She gestures to her car.

"I would have thought that a Fireside girl like yourself would have been able to somehow rig a charger using, like a lemon and some wire?"

"Well first off," She raises a hand. "I have neither a lemon or some wire or anything else as you can see." She gestures around at the admittedly empty field and basic bathrooms. "And secondly." She points to the back of her car, where on closer inspection it was easy to see how entrenched her back tires were in the boggy mud.

"Aah, I see." He looks down at his watch, "Well we don't really have time to fix this, so Ill just give you a lift to your reunion, okay? And we will deal with this later."

"Thanks a bunch, it's going to be so embarrassing to arrive like this. I'm sorry for how I look at the moment, I am probably going to get mud ALL over your car." She gestures at her body.

Phineas looks down at the outfit he had been trying so diligently to ignore. He wishes he didn't, the changes he had noticed earlier were being highlighted by the copious amounts of water and mud on her person. The soccer jersey she wore was now stuck to her torso, bordering the new curves of her hips and chest, the wind picked up and he noticed she was shivering. He diverted his attention back to her face.

"Well, it might not be much, but I have my gym bag here." He motions to the bag slung over his shoulder. "It has some soap, a towel, some socks and…um a pair of sweat pants." He comments as he quickly rummages through it. "Everything is clean but…I probably should have looked in here before, it doesn't look like I have a shirt in here…."

"No stress! I have an under shirt that I can probably salvage with the help of some soap and a hand dryer!" She lifts the bottom of her soccer jersey to show the white singlet she had been wearing earlier. "Wouldn't have thought that I was lucky to lose my team jersey, right?"

Phineas chuckles and hands her his bag. She thanks him and walks across to the bathrooms. _Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down._ Phineas' eyes drift down her back to where her usually loose soccer shorts are now mud soaked and clinging to her in a very flattering manner. His face goes a bit red while he watches her hips sway. He is glad to be distracted by a series of messages that come through on his phone. Right, he still has work to do.

Later he sees her walking back, looking a lot less dirty. He sends off one last message before putting his phone away to focus on her. She has had to roll up the bottom of the sweat pants a bit, showing her lack of socks. She is still in her soccer boots, but you could now at least see that they were pink. Her white singlet looks clean and dry, and her wet hair was once again black although it was missing its signature bow.

"You're looking cleaner. I'm sorry it's not something more appropriate for a get together."

"It is more appropriate than what I was wearing," She smiles at him. "Not to mention a lot more comfortable." Despite her words she shivers in the wind.

Phineas watches goosebumps run up her arms and frowns. "Come on, you must be freezing."

Once they are in his car Phineas goes to take his bag from her. When he brushes her hand, he feels how cold she really is. "Geez Isabella! How are you not turning blue already?"

"I'll be alright once we switch on the heater, it's just a bit of a nip in the wind that's… eepp! What are you doing!" She quickly grabs his hands that had been in the process of pulling his shirts off.

He had taken to wearing a long-sleeved vest beneath his t-shirt. "I was going to give you my shirts, I mean you are freezing and we can't have you getting sick going into exam season."

"NO, I couldn't! what about you? You would get cold!" Her face is red, and when she looks up at him she swiftly removes her hands and looks down mumbling and he faintly hears _"... the universe hates me."_ Phineas hopes he isn't making her feel uncomfortable…. even if she had seen him shirtless many times when they were kids.

He frowns again, "Well it's a bit unfair that I have two thick warm shirts where you have one skimpy undershirt."

"Phineas, really I'm fi…STOP!" Before she could grab him again he removes his over shirt and throws it at her. She catches it with ease.

"Put it on or I'll take off this one." He threatens.

"Phineas, I don't.." His hands go down to his hem and in a flash Isabella is in his signature striped shirt.

He looks at her ruffled hair and makes eye contact with her before they both burst out laughing.

He starts driving when he calms down, though he is still chuckling. He glances over at her and sees her smelling his shirt. He is mortified but before he can apologise for his iffy man smell, she sighs with this adorable little smile and suddenly the blood burning in his cheeks is a thousand times worse.

They drive in silence for a bit, listening to the background murmurs of the radio. The sound of a platypus draws their attention to the console between them.

"Would you mind looking at who that is please?" He nods at his phone without looking away from the highway in front of him.

"Oh yeah sure!" She gets a hold of it before squinting at the screen. "Umm, it's from Ferb."

"What's he saying?"

"It's just a question mark."

"Oh cool, would you mind replying? The passcode is…"

"The first day of summer. I know." She notices him chancing a glance at her. "Eyes on the road. You haven't changed your passcode since you got your first phone Phineas. Now what do you want me to say?"

"Just type yes and send." He hears the automated send sounds and a message received tone. "What's he saying?"

"It's just a thumbs-up, what are you guys even talking about?"

"I have a project I'm organising." He says whilst happily tapping his fingers along to the faint beat of the radio.

"Oh, can I help with anything?"

He stops tapping, "I can't think of anything at the moment." He thinks for a minute. "Um, actually you can."

"Okay," She has her professional voice on now. "what do you need?"

"Tonight, could you keep your phone on you with the volume turned up?"

"Sure, what are you planning?"

"I've got this idea, to try find the equation to make a group occasion have maximum enjoyment."

"And I come in how?"

"Well, obviously its all just theory and calculations at the moment. I've been discussing what makes an event awesome with Ferb and some others, but I really wouldn't mind getting some expertise on the fairer sex's opinion of what they enjoy about societal gatherings."

"That sounds like a needlessly complex way of explaining the concept. But I'm up to help."

"Hey, don't judge me. I have spent the day around a needlessly complex Baljeet."

She snorts at that before pulling out her phone and turning up the volume. "Ugh… look at my hair!"

He peeks out of the corner of his eye and chokes on a laugh. He knew about Isabella's deathly battle with 'the frizzys' but this was something else entirely. Her hair's natural frizz, the sudden heat from the aircon, the lack of any form of brush and whatever had been the effect of the mud, had created a truly…unique hairstyle on Isabella. Instead of the frizz ball her hair normally became when it was humid, there was this wonderful mix of frizz, straight and curl. Random sections falling into each category, almost as if it couldn't decide what it wanted to do.

"I must look ridiculous."

"Nope." He pops his lips and hits his indicator.

"Stop lying." She laughs whilst attempting, and failing, to get her hair in order. She sighs as she sees the hotel coming up in front of them.

Her eyes fall shut when he eventually does pull up at the entrance to the hotel. These reunion events weren't just for catching up with old friends or reminiscing about Fireside shenanigans with fellow Girls. One of the main draws coming to these events was the chance to network with the ambitious, the successful and the wise. The Fireside Girls drew a certain group of people and being able to connect these people across borders, ages and cultures gave one a certain advantage in life. Candace had told Phineas about it after her first reunion, she had raved, like only Candace can, about the chances she had to rub elbows with the people who literally wrote the book on what Candace is studying. Therefore, Phineas knew how daunting it must be for Isabella to go into this looking… less than stellar. Especially as he could see some of the dresses on the girls her age from where he had parked.

Next to him Isabella takes a few deep breaths and opens her eyes. She opens the door and somewhere near the entrance he can hear laughter. Its not the nice kind. Phineas quickly gets out as well. He walks up to her and watches her with a bit of worry. He needn't. With a few deep breaths she pulls a serene smile up and lets the embarrassment and anxiety slip away.

Still he asks, "Are you going to be okay?"

She replies with a carefree laugh, "Look the conditions are less than ideal I admit, but I have faced worse than a bunch of upstate females in dresses. I can even make my outfit a conversation piece, no one else will be able to do that."

"You are definitely right there."

She hugs him then, he has grown this year and finally caught up to her. Both her arms are around his waist. Her head rests on his shoulder and he can't see her face when she says, "Thank you Phineas. It means a lot to me that you took time out of your busy day to come help me. I would have been a proper mess without you, I mean at least my hair is clean." As she moves to step back Phineas chuckles and zones in on a particularly rebellious piece of hair.

He takes his one hand and tucks the strands behind her ear, he loses his smile for a moment as he says, "I will always be here to help you, never doubt that. There are few things I would not do for a friend like you."

She pulls him tight again and he feels her breath against his throat when she giggles. "You are just too perfect, you know that?" He notices that that sentence didn't have the same joviality as the rest of their conversation.

With one more squeeze she moves away from him and looks at the building with a sort of frightening determination. She nods her head once, "Okay, let's do this."

He watches her confidently stride into the building's entrance, he knew that even in his gym clothes and soccer boots she would assuredly impress many.

His phone vibrates and he grins, now just imagine what she could do if she didn't have that disadvantage.

* * *

 ** _I tried._**

 ** _THiaH_**


	11. Interlude: Room Where It Happens

**Room Where It Happens**

The best thing about Fireside reunions, in their opinion, was not the connections or reminiscing but the fact that it was an event to show off. Fireside Girl Troop 46229, or more commonly known as the Upstate Girls, lived for these gatherings. They enjoyed watching people look at their designer clothing and marvel at their make-up. Their favourite though was knowing that no one could match them and giggling at the hot messes that were all the other Girls.

Emmeline, Odette and Aurelia were the three most prominent members of the Upstate Girls, the three of them had earned the highest number of badges in their group. Their troop was very competitive and when it came to this local town's Fireside Girls, otherwise known as Troop 46231, they were basically at war. Yes, they were no longer active but being the only troop in world that were able to out earn them, forever made them bitter.

"She's late." Odette says lightly.

They stood waiting for the infamous troop 46231 leader to arrive. Isabella Garcia Shapiro. Globally she was renowned as the first Fireside Girl to earn over 1000 badges and the only Leader to get her entire troop to that goal as well.

Emmeline and Aurelia glance at each other, "I wonder if she is attempting to be fashionably late."

"She is probably hoping to make an entrance." Emmeline comments scornfully, almost as if they had not attempted the same thing, arriving in a series of Daddy's sports cars. "That's disappointing."

"Much like her love life." The three giggle, Isabella's adventures in trying to gain the attentions of the red haired boy were well known, even upstate… Especially upstate, as it seemed to be the only goal she has ever failed to achieve.

"Is that her?" They look up to see an unassuming red sedan pull up to the doors. Their interest follows the car as it stops and the passenger door opens.

"Oh." Emmeline face crack into a smile.

"My." Sniggers Aurelia behind a hand.

"Galeanthropy!" Odette bursts into raucous laughter and the others follow.

Emmeline grins at her companions and it is open season on one Isabella Garcia-Shapiro.

"What is up with her hair?"

"What is she wearing?"

"Are those soccer boots?"

"This is so embarrassing for her!"

"Imagine if…"

"Hey, isn't that the boy she….?"

The three go silent as the male makes his way around the car. Suddenly she is in his arms and she is whispering in his ear. He responds by gently caressing her face which causes her to embrace him again. When she turns to leave he watches her until she is inside, only leaving when he can't see her anymore. His grin is blinding.

Inside, the girls are frozen. "They can't be."

"It has to be something other than it looks like."

They pause before hesitantly starting again. "She still looks ridiculous."

"Right. The shirt doesn't even fit her properly, I mean orange is so not her colour!"

"And sweat pants are so not smart casual."

"It's not her colour, it's his. Looks to be about his size too. Those pants look like they are for longer legs as well."

That seemed to stump the other two for a moment.

Then she was ignored as Aurelia begins again, "It looks like she tried to give herself a perm!"

"I hope the blender that her hair got into a fight with is alright."

"It kinda looks like someone gave her really bad make out hair."

Emmeline looks up at the ceiling, "She's not even wearing make up!"

"I mean if she had kept it on, wouldn't there be lipstick smudged everywhere?"

"Is she aware that she looks like a sleep walker?" Aurelia attempts in desperation.

"Well she actually looks like she might have just gotten out of bed after a very pleasant afternoon with…"

"Odette!" Emmeline looks betrayed by her friend's constant observations. She throws her hands up in exasperation whilst Aurelia stands with crossed arms and glares down from her 6 inch stilettos.

Odette looks a bit ashamed at her statements but stands defiantly. "What, I'm just saying!"

A commotion draws their attention back to the entrance as the song Gitchee Gitchee Goo bursts from Isabella's pocket.

"Oh wow, that's cringeworthy. Who even has elevator music as a ringtone?" Emmeline looks disbelievingly towards where the song cuts off abruptly as Isabella fumbles and answers the call, face flushed.

All three roll their eyes when she perks up and starts animatedly gesturing. Aurelia turns away from the scene as she catches sight of a familiar face.

"Woah, its Bobbi Fabulous!" Odette exclaims.

"The base guitarist for Love Handle?"

"Eww," Emmeline nose wrinkles, "my parents listen to them."

The loud noise had attracted the former hairstylist's attention and he makes his way over to the hot mess of a troop leader. The girls watch as he flamboyantly points at Isabella's hair, she laughs and shakes her head but Bobbi repeats himself. Then with a snap of his fingers, two tall woman, who matched him in dress and hair, appear. They gracefully grab an arm each and all four of them make their way into the girls bathroom.

"Ummm…"

"What just…"

"Hey isn't that Baljeet Tjinder?"

"Who?" Odette glances at the scrawny looking Indian boy making his way through the room.

"Is he important?" Emmeline asks the real question.

"In the mathematics community, yeah. He was a guest lecturer in one of my sisters 3rd year honours courses."

"But he looks our age, like still in high school."

"He is, but, like, as a paid tutor. He has like 3 honorary degrees from Harvard, they have been after him since he was a freshman."

"Huh. Wonder what he is doing here."

Odette pipes up suddenly, "Oh, he's dating Ginger from Troop 46231."

"Didn't you just ask who he was?"

"Ugh. Boring!" Emmeline whines, as she continues to watch as he pulls a much larger person out from behind a decorative bush. The bulkier boy stands hunched as Baljeet lectures him with vexation, but the jock looks as if he might bolt any second. Suddenly his back snaps up straight as his glare gets caught on something just behind them. His entire body freezes and the girls watch as his pale skin gains a blatantly red tone.

"Bonjour Aurelia!" A voice startles them.

"Brigitte!" Aurelia replies whilst leaning forward and giving cheek kisses. She introduces her friends to the French fireside girl, (or les filles au coin du feua as they are known in their country of origin.) "I did not know you were in America!"

"Oui oui. It was all very last minute, but I received an invitation from someone whom I have… unfinished business with." The foreign girl smirks across the room. Her simmering gaze lands on the brawny boy they had been watching.

"That's him?!" Aurelia gasps.

"Oui."

"Oh wow."

Brigitte notices her troopmates frustration and explains, "You have heard of the noir short film, Le Pont Mirabeau?"

The girls nod in sync.

"Yeah, its got like 50 million views on Youtube." Odette looks over at her, not getting her point.

Brigitte smirks and points at the boy who seems to be wrestling Tjinder in an attempt to make a break for it.

" _That's_ the up and coming youth director Buford Van Storm?" Emmeline cries.

"No way."

"That boy has such a way with words, especially for an American. But you girls should hear him recite poetry in French. C'est manifique." She sighs longingly at the boy who holds Baljeet in a headlock and is proceeding to give him a Wet Willy.

"I did my theatre practical based on it." Emmeline mutters in shock.

Buford noticing Brigitte's attention, freezes up again and just stares back at her. Neither seem aware of Baljeet slapping at him, trying to get free.

Anticlimactically, is Baljeet then dropped to the ground before Buford makes his way over.

"Brigitte, how are you here?"

"Bonjour Buford," she glances at the three girls before continuing, "Une faveur pour Isabella, she said you had something to say to me?"

"Yes, I just wanted to know if there was any chance you are still vaguely interested in a brute American such as myself?" He asks gently placing a hand on her cheek.

"Non," Buford's hand drops listlessly, " je suis amoureux d'une brute américaine qui a appris le français pour moi. Qui m'a courtisé avec de la poésie et a déclaré son amour sur Youtube." Brigitte replies breathlessly.

"You saw the film."

"Oui, mon amour."

Buford kisses her and the cultured European girl leans forwards when he pulls away. She sighs, "Buford."

The brutish boy chuckles before being interrupted by a cough from Baljeet. Van Storm sends a glare his way then offers his arm to the dark haired frenchwoman, "Bientôt je vais m'assurer que nous sommes seuls, mon chasseur. I need to go help Isabella, want to come?"

She daintily places her hand on his bicep. "Oui."

With that the newly formed couple and the mathematician waltz off and into the girls bathroom.

"What."

"That was weird."

"But so romantic…" Odette sighs, "I wish I had someone who would write me French poems, run through the forest in a bear suit and would post a video declaring his undying devotion to me on Youtube. I wonder what they are doing later."

Aurelia and Emmeline just stare at their friend.

Aurelia grabs her and starts shaking her. "You speak French?!"

"No." Odette looks at her in confusion.

"Then how the fu…"

They are interrupted by excited hands hitting them.

"Girls, girls! Look is that not Gaston le Mode."

"Wow, It totally is!"

"I never thought I would be this close to greatness."

"Lets get closer."

The three follow him across the hall.

Odette smiles, "He is going to the girls bathroom."

"No he is not…" Aurelia snaps.

"He literally just walked in."

They slow as they reach the door that has just swung closed behind the famous fashion icon. They hear a rise in noise and laughter a few moments later.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"THAT'S IT!" Emmeline tugs at her perfectly styled blonde up do. "I need to know what is happening in that room!"

As she is walking forward Aurelia notices something. "Why did it get so quiet?"

"Uhhh, Emmeline. I don't think this a very good idea."

Their self declared leader's hand reaches the handle.

Click.

BOOM.

Then it happened. Emmeline sees a flash of pink light and wonders how she suddenly got on the ground.

The other two stare in awe at Isabella, now standing in the door way.

"Oh, Emmeline! Are you alright?" She crouches down to help and Emmeline notices the perfectly applied make up shimmer in the hotel lighting.

Suddenly a voice addresses the growing crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, I hoped you enjoyed this preview of the next P&F patent." The voice is recognised to be the next most famous fireside girl , "As you can see, we have managed to create a product demonstrates what one can achieve with the help of those around and will revolutionise not only the fashion but many other industries as well." Says Candace Flynn. "If you are at all interested in this invention please don't hesitate to question the inspiration for it, Ms Isabella Garcia-Shapira!"

There standing by the now ruffled Emmeline, is Isabella. Her hair is in a half updo with perfectly curled locks falling down her bare back. The girls get a glimpse of bedazzled purple before Emmeline is pushed aside in the following rush of questions.

At that point Emmeline gives up and goes and sits at their table downing soda after soda, as if they were something a lot stronger.

Her two friends decide not to mention when a tall green haired British man asks where Isabella is at the end of the night.

Emmeline notices them embracing at the car anyway.

* * *

 **I apologise profusely to anyone who can actually speak french. Google translate is my friend.**

 **Other than that, let me know what you think of the story so far. Im trying to update quicker now, so hopefully this will be over soon.**

 **Thanks for the love!**

 **ThiaH**


	12. Chpt 10: I'm High On Belieiving

CHPT **10: I'm High On Believing.**

Isabella thought bonding with the Flynn-Fletcher brothers would be hard, but it wasn't. She had let go of her expectations and desires. And she now finally was able to see the boys beneath. It didnt surprise her how simple it was to fall into their lives. Their friendship was like putting a comfy hoodie on a snowy day. Warm and unquestioned. Although in most cases it was if the hoodie was made of reflective tape and the snow was falling back into the sky.

She really should have expected how weird it would be.

* * *

She is walking downtown with Ferb when she is pushed into a bush. It should probably be worry her that this didn't even rank as an unusual event for her. She slowly stands and brushes the twigs and dust off her person. She glares at her friend where he's crouching, he is wistfully (as wistful as Ferb can be) peering through the branches as a gothic woman walks by.

"Ferb."

He looks up at her crossed arms and had the decency to look sheepish.

"You said you had spoken to her!"

He shrugs and stands with a crack from his knees.

She follows his head with a glare as he towers over her. When did he get so lanky? "You can't get out of this by being silent!"

He grimaces, "You're right Isabella, I'm going to sort this out right now!"

She smiles as he runs off.

She frowns when he returns not a minute later.

"So, guess you just declared their sincerist apologies to a 50 year old magician."

From the way Ferb pushes her back into the bush, she really shouldn't have started laughing again.

* * *

"Seriously Isabella. It should wear off in 2-4 hours." Phineas speaks from high above her.

"If I didn't like you so much, you would be dead." She growls. Literally. She's a dog.

"I don't know what she just said, but I claim plausible deniability for any of her actions." Buford says sitting on the porch.

"Granted." Ferb replies as he scratches her behind the ears.

* * *

She winced as her leg broke, "Oh! Come on!"

Ferb smirks down at her and she squints as the sun glares at her from high above him.

"You shouldn't have questioned me Isabella." He says as he punches her in the face.

She was still stunned, and couldn't block his attack, so she is sent flying. She watches in despair as he follows her across the alley. He raised his leg before bringing it down on her head.

"FATALITY!" Blasts the TV.

"Well I didn't think you were going to push me to the floor!" She exclaims at him from the carpet where she lay. She couldn't believe the genius boy had to resort to cheating to win at a video game!

"Don't be bitter just because I'm better than you at fighting games!" He challenges as he stretches out over the couch he so _fairly_ pushed her off.

"Are you sure about that?" Isabella raises her eyebrows in a challenge.

"Positive." He pulls his arms up to rest them behind his head.

"Oh really?" She says before launching at him.

In a matter of seconds, he is face down on the carpet with her sitting on his back, twisting his arm.

"Isabella, I'm sorry!"

"Ha, say you'll be his partner for the next Home Ec assignment!"

"NO! I won the game! You lost the bet. Ow ow ow OW! Okay FINE!"

She lets him go before victoriously taking her place on the couch.

She hears a chuckle from the hallway and turns to see Phineas watching. "Have you guys decided who Im working with yet?"

"Yes!"

"No!" Ferb calls from the floor as he rubs his shoulder.

"Awww, Ferb don't be bitter just because I'm better at fighting than you are!" She throws his words back in his face.

"Double or nothing on Rainbow Road."

"Oh, you are so on!"

* * *

Why anyone thought pairing up with Phineas in Home Economics would be a good idea, she does not know. You would think someone with his wide skill set would be able to crush this course in a blink of an eye.

So, she really doesn't understand how these situations kept happening.

"Phineas." She says in disbelief at the state of their workbench.

She watches his shoulders come up as he guiltily looks over at her. "Isabella! Hi…"

"We are supposed to be making vanilla pudding."

"We are!"

"Why are your hands purple?"

"That's a very good question."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but we need to practice how to make scrambled eggs."

"That would probably be a good idea."

"We should make plans." She looks at the perfectly round black ball of eggs and...something. "I just…its perfectly spherical...I mean, how?"

"I think its best not to question it. Are you free tomorrow?"

"No Phineas… I'm actually pretty expensive."

"…. Was that a pun?"

"No."

"…"

"Seems with have a misPUNderstanding."

"Isabella!"

* * *

"Phineas."

"Isabella."

"We are meant to be having a quiet barbeque." She looks at the event planning worksheet they had been given.

"Yes, I'm pretty excited."

"So, what is that?" She points outside with her pencil.

"You told me to make a fire."

"Small fire! I said to set a small fire! This is not small!" She looks at the skyscraper bonfire outside and wonders how she didn't see this coming.

* * *

"I'm sure this won't explode on us." He says from where he has crouched down behind the counter.

"It's a soufflé!"

"Yeeeaaaahhhh, I may or may not have accidently added nitro-glycerine."

"You did what?!"

"I don't remember! I looked, and I am missing some! But I'm like 75% sure it's not in there." He points across the kitchen.

There is a rattle from the oven.

Isabella sighs as she hunkers down next to Phineas. "Damn you Rainbow Road!"

* * *

Isabella is driving them back from the theatre.

"Truth be told, I'm not sure if any of them are actually dead."

"…Phineas."

"Like isn't it a known fact that everyone except Quicksilver…mmmppphhh!"

"Phineas, we do not spoil major movie franchises." Isabella says without looking towards the passenger seat as Ferb covers Phineas' mouth.

She hears more muffled complaints before blissful silence. She hears a questioning tone from Ferb in the back seat and nods in response.

Phineas starts again as soon as Ferb releases him, "Marvel has literally…"

She is proud at how quickly he is silenced with a glare.

Phineas crosses his arms but remains quiet.

She guesses she's not supposed to hear the soft mumble behind her from Baljeet, "Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, she might as well be the Godfather."

She decides to have a bit of harmless fun, in the review mirror she catches Ferb's eye, he notices her grin and he nods back at her.

When they break to drop Baljeet off, Ferb leans over and stops Baljeet from opening the door.

"My friend, what..."

"Remember Baljeet! Revenge is a dish best served cold."

Baljeet stares at the normally silent teen in shock. He looks to the front, but Phineas and Isabella don't react.

"I don't understand…"

Phineas looks at Isabella and says, "I think we should make him an offer he can't refuse."

The Indian boy eeps and scrambles out the car, before he can get to the house she winds down the window and calls out, "You were wrong Baljeet! I am the Godmother!"

She watches Baljeet cease fumbling with his keys and lets out a breath in relief, "That was the scariest reference ever."

They don't stop laughing until they get back home.

* * *

She spent the weekend working for her mom, now she just wanted to spend Sunday night in her PJ's. With a massive bowl of popcorn or chocolate, maybe both. What she didn't expect was a ring at the door at 8 pm. Neither did she expect it to be Phineas standing at the door.

From the looks of it Phineas didn't expect her either…which was weird considering.

"Isabella!"

She leans against the door frame, she didn't realise how much work had taken out of her. "Who else were you expecting?"

"You of course! I mean I didn't think you would be here," He started off strong here, but appeared to lose his train of thought when his eyes seemed to wander off towards her flamingo sleep shorts. "I mean I didn't think you wouldn't be here, I think, I mean I didn't not think you wouldn't not be here really, I mean…." He coughs before looking back up at her face. "What do I mean?"

She looks at his vaguely sunburnt face and wonders what work intensive project he took part in this weekend. She smiles, "I don't know Phineas, you're telling the story."

"Exactly." He replies and then proceeds to not say anything. He looks as shattered as she feels and maybe its his sleepy presence or maybe it's the fact that she just really wants to put her feet up, but she doesn't pause before she makes the next action.

"Right," She steps up off the door and gestures inside, "I have the extended Stumbleberry Finkbat trilogy and a bucket of popcorn, do you want to join me?"

"Please?" He stumbles in after and she registers the sound of a door closing. She knows she's tired when she starts contemplating the metaphoric meaning of it.

She flops on the couch and presses play, he crashes down next to her and she offers him some blanket.

...

She blinks, and they are halfway through the first movie, they are a bundle of warmth and comfort and blankets. Their legs pretzelled together underneath the covers. She smiles at Phineas who chuckles at something a character says, he catches her eye and mouths the words from the tv, he knows them off by heart.

...

She next wakes to the noise of the climax of the second movie, as the Darkling Tower falls she notices a head on her shoulder, its red. When she feels the warm breaths brushing against her neck, she vaguely hears a younger version of herself squealing somewhere inside, or it could have been the sound of the Orclings dying on screen. She's not conscious enough to care.

...

She surfaces briefly to the feeling of cold hands on her waist, the music in the background is a crescendo but the voice in her ear is soft. She is weightless, and her bed is a cloud.

* * *

 ** _Another Chapter_**!

 ** _Enjoy, thanks for the feedback! Love to hear from you guys!_**

 ** _Please let me know if I have made any mistakes._**

 ** _See Ya Soon... hopefully_**

 ** _THiaH_**


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